Auditory Channel - Disadvantages

There are also disadvantages that must be taken into account when designing auditory displays.

• Startle Response - Sound can be so obtrusive that it interrupts and disrupts task performance even to the extent of wiping out/erasing immediate memory.
• Localization Difficulties - While sound surrounds us, it can be difficult to locate the source, depending upon the environment. Sound can be absorbed or reflected by barriers and objects. For example, when one is driving and enclosed in an automobile, it is difficult to locate the direction of a police car or fire engine from the sirens alone.
• Limited Memory for Abstract Sounds - We can discriminate thousands of different sounds; however, human memory for abstract sounds, composed of pure tones, is very limited--typically from 5 to 8. It is recommended that no more than 6 be used in most circumstances.
• Sounds Masked by Other Sounds - We have difficulty filtering and separating sounds if one sound is "masked" by another of the same or similar frequency. For instance, we may be able to attend to and hear the sound of a flute in an orchestra, but if more than one flute is playing we may not be able to determine "which" flute is playing "what" note.
• Sound/Noise Habituation - We tend to become used to and not attend to continuous sound or noise unless it pertinent to the task at hand. "Background" music is a common example.